William s



(No Model.)

W. S. HICKS.

BUTTON HOOK. I

N0. 337,833; Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM S. HICKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUTTON-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,833, dated March16, 1886. Application filed January 12, 1886. Serial No. 188,327. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HIoKs, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Button-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of buttonhooks usually worn by ladiesand gentlemen as charms or attachments to watch-chains, and used forbuttoning gloves, the invention consisting in providing the case at itsopen end with a broadened and flattened mouth for the reception of thehook, as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a side elevation with the hook extended. Fig. 2 is a similarview with the hook retracted, and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing thecase turned at a right angle to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Many forms and styles of button-hooks for buttoning gloves and shoeshave been devised, some of which have been made with ornamental casesdesigned to be worn as charms or ornaments attached to watchchains, orotherwise carried about the person. As heretofore constructed the hookshave either had to be very small, and consequently too light and weakfor practical service or durability, or if the hook was made large thecase was necessarily enlarged to correspond, thereby increasing theircost and giving them a clumsy andinelegant appearance. Various planshave been devised to obviate these objections, such as cutting slots inthe open end of the case for the hook to rest in, and making the caseoval in cross-section, 810.

To construct a button hook on my plan, I first make the case A in theform or style of a small pencilcase, of gold or silver or any similarornamental material, round or polygonal in cross-section, as may bepreferred. Then, by means of suitable tools, I flatten or compress thesides of the case at its open end or month, as shown in Fig. 3, therebycorrespondingly widening it in the direction at right angles to that inwhich it is compressed, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. By thismethod of construction I form at the open end a mouth or pocket, 72, forthe hook, which is considerably wider than the diameter of the case,thus enabling me to use a larger and stronger hook than can be used inthe ordinary tubular case.

The hook G maybe made to slide in and out of the case A by any of theusual methods or means; but I prefer to use a screw for that purpose,and to construct the casein two parts,

the part above the bead 0 being free to be turned by the thumb andfinger of one hand, while the part below the bead is held by the otherhand.

As this method of making cases in two parts with a screw for extendingand retracting a pencil-point, tooth-pick, or other small implement isWell known to those skilled in the art, it is unnecessary to give anyfurther description of the same.

lVhen the hook O is retracted it will occuny the position shown by thedotted lines in Fig. 2, where it is hidden from view, although widerthan the body of the case.

By proper care in its construction the case A is rendered moreornamental; also, by means of this compressed and widened mouth I) theflattened sides thereof form spaces for the application of any desiredornament or figure.

I am aware that a tube has had its end flattened and slotted to formjaws, between which to pivot the shank of the hook in a manner similarto that of a knife-blade, and therefore I do not claim such a device,nor do I slot my case at the sides of its mouth; but

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. A case for button-hooks, consistingof a tubular body, A, provided with an enlarged oval or flattened mouth,substantially as de scribed, whereby a button -hook can be inclosedwhich is wider than the diameter of the body of the case.

2. In combination with the case A, provided with a mouth which is widerthan the body thereof, a sliding hook, G, of greater width than the bodyof the case, substantially as shown and described.

VILLIAM S. HICKS.

IVitnesses:

GEO. W. WHITE, DOUGLASS TOMKINS.

